Jim Musser's shows to see

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Jan. 15, 2013

Tony Brown's Big Backyard Jam

After a too-long hiatus, legendary blues, funk, soul and reggae maven Brown brings his house-band of hotshots (including Kevin “BF” Burt, Dante Ware, Truthhawk, Shawn Burt and John Lage) back to Shakespeare’s for some down ’n’ dirty improv.

As before, they’ll set the scene and get the ball rolling, but all you pickers and singers are welcome to join the party — and it won’t cost you a dime to play or listen in.

The Felice Brothers

The Mill Restaurant, 120 E. Burlington St.

9 p.m. today, $12 advance/$15 door

Hailing from the Woodstock, N.Y., area, brothers Ian (guitar/vocals), Simone (drums) and James (accordion) Felice — with delightfully named Christmas Clapton on bass — formed delightfully unstructured combo in the mid-2000s.

Heavy Dylan and The Band influences have marked their rustic Americana output (five fine albums and counting), but 2011’s “Celebration, Florida” showed a willingness to expand their musical tent all over the map.

Terrible (ex-Grand Tetons) open the show.

Pieta Brown & The Sawdust Collective

CSPS Hall, 1103 Third St. S.E., Cedar Rapids

8 p.m. Friday, $17 advance/$21 door

Blessed with an intimate, sultry vocal delivery and a graceful, lyrical gift, Brown variously recalls the likes of Norah Jones, Dusty Springfield and Bobbie Gentry. She’s continued to improve her stylistic range and record-making skills over six albums, culminating (thus far) with 2011’s Southern soul-informed “Mercury.”

She’ll be joined by guitarist Bo Ramsey and bassist Jon Penner.

P.S. CSPS will host a gallery show of Pieta’s photos from Jan. 14 to Feb.28.

Joe & Vicki Price

George’s Buffet, 312 E. Market St.

9 p.m. Saturday, no cover

With stomping feet, jubilant vocals and Resophonic steel guitars darting, attacking and buzzing like swarming killer bees, this treasured husband-and-wife duo performs separately and together, constantly spooling out a uniquely in-the-tradition, homespun take on original country blues.

George’s gets so packed for this act that you literally have to change places with peeps to move through it, so get there early (and tip generously).

"Was The Word"

The Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St.

7 p.m. Sunday, $10 suggested donation

This monthly Storytelling, Poetry and Music Show is presented by The Working Group Theatre in conjunction with the Intimate At The Englert series; proceeds from this evening will benefit the Senior Center.

A variety of artists will deliver spoken word presentations, storytelling and poetry, and the sassy, saucy Awful Purdies vocal group will add musical interludes. Performers and audience will all be on the stage